V-CHIP THEATRE PRESENTS: THE GREAT FILMS
1. The Godfather (1971; Francis Ford Coppola, dir.) An Italian-American family struggles to thrive in an extremely competitive business environment.
2. Vertigo (1958; Alfred Hitchcock, dir.) San Francisco police detective investigates confusing identity theft, fails to take medication to control phobia.
3. The Seven Samurai (1954; Akira Kurosawa, dir.) Seven samurai, officially designated Men Friday to the emperor, enjoy wacky hijinks. In Japanese.
4. Lawrence of Arabia (1962; David Lean, dir.) British subject engages in Middle Eastern adventure, has romantic encounter with Turkish official.
5. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928; Carl Theodor Dreyer, dir.) A young French woman defends her controversial thesis in front of a deeply skeptical review board.
6. Touch of Evil (1958; Orson Welles, dir.) Charlton Heston plays a Mexican. Orson Welles has difficulties following a diet. Jazz music plays.
7. The Night of the Hunter (1955; Charles Laughton, dir.) Itinerant preacher attempts to convert elderly woman, children; theological disagreement follows.
8. Apocalypse Now (1979; Francis Ford Coppola, dir.) Martin Sheen stars as a semi-retired soldier who vacations in southeast Asia and disputes with a fellow officer over management techniques.
9. The Terminator (1984; James Cameron, dir.) The practical difficulties of time travels are explored in this Los Angeles travelogue. A robotic muscleman searches for a properly fitting suit of clothes.
10. Chinatown (1974; Roman Polanski, dir.) Los Angeles private detective attempts to quell marital strife; interacts with Chinese-American population.
11. The Searchers (1956; John Ford, dir.) A young girl becomes lost in the American desert, and a robust gentlemen attempts to find her with the assitances of the local Indian population.
12. The Wild Bunch (1969; Sam Peckinpah, dir.) Retirement-age friends in the New West consider whether or not to make business arrangements with the local railroad.
13. Taxi Driver (1976; Martin Scorsese, dir.) Robert DeNiro stars as Travis Bickle, a hard-working cabbie who is plagued by insomnia and bad taste in movies.
14. The Silence of the Lambs (1991; Jonathan Demme, dir.) An FBI agent in training seeks the advice of an educated former psychiatrist in matters of cuisine, tailoring, wordplay. Importance of skin lotion is emphasized.
15. Battleship Potemkin (1925; Sergei Eisenstein, dir.) Legendary film documenting labor struggle in early days of the Soviet Union; note Odessa Steps sequence, featuring coordinated folk-dancing.
16. Breathless (1959; Jean-Luc Godard, dir.) Unemployed athlete and companion enjoy romantic escapades, upper respiratory problems. In French.
17. Triumph of the Will (1935; Leni Riefenstahl, dir.) Celebrated former ski instructor creates intriguing documentary about regional carnival sponsored by local businessmen, political figures.
18. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968; Sergio Leone, dir.) Epic tale of land rights, water issues, farming and ranching in the American West. Possibly in Italian.
19. Schindler’s List (1994; Steven Spielberg, dir.) Government official and factory manager push for increased efficiency; manager makes list of less productive employees for official’s consideration.
20. The Shining (1980; Stanley Kubrick, dir.) Handyman and family face problems over loneliness, mental illness, boilers. One of the greatest films ever made about hotel management.